You find balloons all over the place, from kids' parties to restaurants and shopping malls. Some people love them, and some people are deathly afraid of them. If the thought of them bursting doesn't bother you, you'll probably be interested to know that there are lots of fun crafts you can do with them. Kids will have tonnes of fun using balloons to make things, from balloon animals and paper mache to simply decorating an ordinary balloon to make it more attractive. Here are some neat ideas for balloon crafts that you can try the next time you have some art time with your kids.
Paper Mache
One thing for which people have been using balloons for a long time is to mold paper mache. Blow up a balloon and layer your paper mache (paper dipped in glue and water) over the balloon. When it's dry, you can pop the balloon, and you have a nice, round object to decorate. Kids can have great fun painting faces on them.
Balloon Animals
Balloon animals can be difficult to get the hang of, but they're incredible fun for anyone who has the knack for it. You need some good quality balloons that are strong and that you can blow up and manipulate without them breaking. There are all kinds of things you can make with them, from animals to hats. Get a small pump to help you blow them up if it's a bit too much effort for little lungs.
Decorate Them
There's so much you can do to make a balloon more fun just by adding some decoration. You could glue things to them, from pompoms to stickers. Or you could splash flecks of paint at them to make them more colorful. And it's not just the outside that you can decorate. Use latex balloons or other ones that you can see into and put confetti glitter inside to make them even more fun.
Make a Surprise
You make a special surprise for someone just with a few balloons, a box and some string. Have your kids blow up some balloons and tie some string to them. Then attach the line to the bottom of a box, push the balloons inside and close the lid. You can present it to someone as a gift and they'll get a lovely surprise when they open it up. This idea is great for any occasion, from Mother's Day or Father's Day to birthdays.
Make Can Drums
Balloons don't have to be inflated to be fun. If you want to recycle some of the materials in your home, this project is easy to make with just some tin cans and some pieces of an old balloon. Stretch the balloon over the top of the empty can and secure it in place with some rubber bands. They're great fun to tap on, and they don't make as much noise as a real drum set!
Attach LEDs
For something extra special, get some battery-powered LED lights. Pop one inside a balloon before you blow it up and secure it in place. You'll get a lovely glowing effect.
